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Manchester trio, Black Foxxes, have already cemented themselves as one of the most exciting bands on the UK rock circuit. Their songs are a perfect cacophony of dynamics, melodies, and memorable guitar riffs. The band first grabbed attention from the likes of Kerrang!, Rock Sound, The Independent, and the BBC with their EP Pines. The band have continued to grow as they released their debut album I’m Not Well through Spinefarm Records (Universal). The band now have a loyal following and have been announced for a string of festival dates throughout the UK including this year’s Slam Dunk.
We caught up with singer and guitarist, Mark Holley, to discuss festival dates and their upcoming second album.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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- Hey, Mark. Can you give us some info about Black Foxxes? Who you all are, how you met?
- We’re all human beings of earth and we met because the lottery that is life dumped us out in Devon, England in 1988.
- You released your debut album in August last year. What’s the reaction been like?
- It reviewed like a champ! I think it was quite a bold first album. It definitely didn’t hold back anywhere and targeted a lot of important issues that we needed to talk about. Our fans are incredible. They’re such committed fans and whilst we’re still in the most embryonic stage of our career, our fans will be there for the duration, which is a wonderful feeling.
- What was your process for writing the album?
- I write a lot of music at home, all on my acoustic and take it to the scout hut where we practice. Whatever images I have in my head of how the song will turn out, it’s always different. But in such a good way, as soon as Ant and Tris start playing it just turns into Black Foxxes.
- The title I’m Not Well seems to give away the theme of the album. Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind the lyrical content?
- I wanted to focus on all the issues I was going through on the lead up to that album. I had only recently been diagnosed with having extreme anxiety and I was struggling massively to cope day to day. Opening up and talking about it and seeing others were going through the same things was the differential I needed to be able to get through it all.
- Your first EP Pines was very well received. How did you find writing a follow up to this?
- That was the easy part as we already had a back catalogue of songs going into the first album. So everything moved along very quickly. The second is the one that sets apart bands. It really showcases how your songwriting has or hasn’t come on, and we couldn’t be more proud or confident in the songs we have going into the second!
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Opening up and talking about it and seeing others were going through the same things was the differential I needed to be able to get through it all.
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- You’ve gained a loyal fanbase through the years. How vital are they to your band?
- As I said before, it’s absolutely huge. We know a large majority on a personal level and they’re all wonderful people. I think that first album naturally draws a lot of people that struggle with similar issues to us, and that’s a wonderful thing because we can hear their stories and hear how the lyrics have helped them massively. Our fans are incredible.
- The next few months for you are filled with some impressive festivals. Where are you most excited to play?
- Download Paris will be a big one, essentially opening up for Slayer. Other than that Bestival and Slam Dunk are going to be a lot of fun.
- What does the rest of 2017 look like for the band?
- Recording this second album. Being in the studio is my favourite part of being in a band, I cannot wait for this to come out. I really, honestly think this is the album that takes us up to the level we know we should be at. It’s going to be a big stepping stone for us.
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You can catch Black Foxxes at Slam Dunk Midlands 27 May, North 28 May, and South 29 May. Tickets are available here.
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